Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Penn State Dickinson School of Law has halted its controversial quest to end first-year classes in Carlisle.

Citing political outcry and a general misunderstanding by the public of the school’s plans, Dean Philip McConnaughay said Tuesday that the school would no longer pursue the requirement of having first-year law students attend classes at University Park.

Instead, the school will seek separate accreditations for its campuses in Carlisle and University Park, McConnaughay said.

That plan needs the approval of the American Bar Association.

In an email sent Tuesday to students, McConnaughay noted that the school would remain a single academic unit of Penn State, but each of the campuses would develop and implement separate identities, separate admissions policies and separate educational programs.

The set-up would be similar to other programs at universities such as Rutgers, Indiana and Arkansas, McConnaughay said.